Autonomous operation of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) requires development of technologies that allow for safer flight control and response to various flight anomalies. Software for autonomous control should allow the UAV to detect and avoid potential hazards, as well as respond to critical failures midflight without input from a human operator. This paper develops a ground impact and hazard mitigation

Computational fluid dynamics through the solution of the Navier–Stokes equations with turbulence models has become commonplace. However, simply solving these equations is not sufficient to be able to perform efficient design optimization with a flow solver in the loop. This paper discusses the recommendations for developing a flow solver that is suitable for efficient aerodynamic and multidisciplinary

Automated aerial refueling (AAR) provides unique challenges for computer vision systems. Aerial refueling maneuvers require high-precision low-variance pose estimates. The performance of two stereoscopic (stereo) vision systems is quantified in ground tests specially designed to mimic AAR. In this experiment, three-dimensional (3-D) pose-estimation errors of 6 cm on a target 30 m from the current vision

This paper presents a new method for predicting unimpeded taxi time based on the airport node–link model through statistical analysis of the airport surface detection equipment surveillance data. The proposed method can predict taxi-out and taxi-in times for departure and arrival flights, respectively, by calculating the link travel times on a node–link model of the airport surface movement. The prediction

With the aim to benefit vertical guidance in performance-based navigation using the multiconstellation global navigation satellite systems, this research addresses the integrity of the detection and exclusion of faulty global navigation satellite system measurements with the parameterized quadratic programming (PQP) method proposed in prior research. In particular, the PQP method is integrated with

The continuous dynamics of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are generally modeled as a set of differential equations. Traditionally, these continuous dynamics of UAVs are analyzed using paper-and-pencil proof and computer-based testing or simulations to study the performance, stability, and various other control characteristics of the aircraft flying in the air. However, these techniques suffer from

This paper describes a concept and a prototype for sharing flight information using blockchain technology. Providing all stakeholders access to complete, consistent, and up-to-date information about each flight facilitates efficient aviation operations. Existing flight information exchange methods are limited; the concept of a “flight object” that provides a complete solution for all stakeholders has

This paper describes the development of a computational framework for aerodynamic simulations based on the unsteady vortex lattice method under the object-oriented programming paradigm. The effort aims to fulfill the fluid-dynamics portion of the fluid–structure interaction problem in the multiphysics field. The construction and implementation of an object-oriented model is introduced along with its

This work focuses on a novel pseudomeasurement-aided estimation scheme for angle of attack (AOA) in a mini unmanned aerial vehicle with a 1.61 m wingspan. A scale-reduced model of the same is used in a wind tunnel, and the necessary measurements are recorded. Wind-tunnel measurements are used to write down the CL and CD equations of the flight vehicle. A pseudomeasurement-aided scheme for estimation

This paper introduces a method for enabling multiple small unmanned aircraft to improve navigational accuracy in Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied environments by cooperatively sharing information. The method uses a multilevel framework called relative navigation and visual-inertial odometry: both of which have been used for single-vehicle GPS-denied navigation. This work modifies the relative

Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, Volume 17, Issue 8, Page 370-370, August 2020.

The problem of cooperative localization for a small group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a Global Navigation Satellite System-denied environment is addressed in this paper. The presented approach contains two sequential steps: first, an algorithm called cooperative ranging localization, formulated as an extended Kalman filter, estimates each UAV’s relative pose inside the group using intervehicle

This paper presents a novel state estimation system for unmanned aerial vehicle landing. A novel vision algorithm that detects a portion of the marker is developed, and this algorithm extends the detectable range of the vision system for any known marker. A vision-aided navigation algorithm is derived within extended Kalman particle filter and Rao–Blackwellized particle filter frameworks in addition

The Basilisk astrodynamics framework is a spacecraft simulation tool developed with an aim of strict modular separation and decoupling of modeling concerns in regard to coupled spacecraft dynamics, environment interactions, and flight software algorithms. Modules, tasks, and task groups are the three core components that enable Basilisk’s modular architecture. These core components are described and

This paper uses retrospective cost parameter estimation (RCPE) to estimate parameters in the global ionosphere–thermosphere model (GITM). Using GITM as an executable simulation code, RCPE estimates two thermal-conductivity coefficients along with the temperature exponent in the thermal-conductivity model. These parameter estimates are obtained by using various combinations of simulated measurements

This paper addresses the problem of n unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) pursuing a swarm of target UAVs moving on a plane. The target UAVs are assumed to be flying together as a flock. The flock is initially modeled as a circle whose radius can be time varying, and this is subsequently generalized to arbitrarily shaped swarms that may change in size. Capture is said to occur when the n pursuing UAVs

Blockchain technologies have demonstrated new and interesting ways to construct terrestrial economies, including the well-known public cryptocurrencies, but also as a means to facilitate business-to-business and business-to-consumer transactions. Some have recently proposed uses for blockchains in space. This paper identifies desirable blockchain properties that could be used to construct future in-space

This paper presents a speed-adjustment method for avoiding obstacles during multivehicle missions. This method enables multiple autonomous agents to cooperatively avoid collision against popup moving obstacles while at the same time guaranteeing intervehicle safety. The collision-avoidance algorithm assumes knowledge of a nominal trajectory for the obstacle and takes into account bounded deviations

A group of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) can efficiently obtain the information of an unknown target or location of interest. Efficacy of localization gets enhanced if UAVs form an optimal formation geometry around the target. This work presents a unified scheme of cooperative localization and tracking for a group of fixed-wing unmanned aerial vehicles. The sensors having different types and qualities

This paper discusses the development of a generalized framework for collaborative control and transportation of a suspended load using multiple quadrotors. For this, first, a flight dynamics model of n quadrotors with suspended load system is derived using Newton’s approach. Next, a cooperative control law is developed to control the motion of the quadrotor(s) and the suspended load. The vehicle formation

This paper considers pursuit-evasion differential games in the Euclidean plane where an evader is engaged by multiple pursuers and point capture is required. The players have simple motion (i.e., holonomic) in the manner of Isaacs, and the pursuers are faster than the evader. The attention of this paper is confined to the case where the pursuers have the same speed, and so the game’s parameter is that

Ensuring border security against potential threats has been a long-standing problem, and it becomes much more challenging for international borders due to their massive physical extent coupled with varied terrain. This paper considers a scenario in which a team of UAVs (the pursuers) attempt to prevent an intruder ground vehicle (the evader) from escaping through the border. The ground intruder’s presence

Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, Ahead of Print.

Journal of Aerospace Information Systems, Ahead of Print.